C-221An Act to amend certain Acts in relation to survivor pension benefits
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on December 16, 2021
- Status
- At second reading in the House of Commons since December 16, 2021
What it does
Allows some survivors to receive federal pension benefits even if the marriage or common-law relationship started after age 60 or after retirement.
What it does
- Allows survivors under several federal pension laws to receive benefits after the member dies, even if the marriage or conjugal relationship began after the person turned 60 or retired.
- Repeals provisions in the Canadian Forces, judges, MPs, public service, and RCMP pension laws that reduced or blocked survivor benefit options in some cases.
- Updates the definition of “survivor” for MPs’ pensions so it means a spouse immediately before death or a common-law partner who lived with the member for at least one year before death.
- Changes child allowance rules in the Canadian Forces, Public Service, and RCMP pension laws, including higher amounts when there is no eligible survivor.
- Updates federal pension plan rules so survivors can receive benefits from defined contribution accounts and joint-and-survivor pensions, and it revokes earlier elections to reduce some pensions.
Who it affects
- Surviving spouses and partners
- Canadian Forces pensioners
- Federal public servants
- Judges
- Members of Parliament
- RCMP members
- Members of pension plans
- Employers with pension plans
Background
The bill amends several federal pension laws and pension plan rules about survivor benefits.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Current stage. Now here
Committee
Not reached.
Report stage
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Senate
First reading
Not reached.
Second reading
Not reached.
Committee
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Not reached.
Introduced by an MP who is not a minister. These bills compete in a lottery for debate time, and most do not become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
No recorded votes yet
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
NDPRachel Blaney· December 16, 2021
“Moved for leave to introduce Bill C-221, An Act to amend certain Acts in relation to survivor pension benefits. Today in Canada we still have the “gold-digger” clause that means spouses of veterans who marry after the age of 60 are not entitled to the automatic survivor pension under the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Outside the Order of Precedence. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.